The great Jyotirlinga Shiva temple of Somnath is well known, but how many know the story of Veer Hamirji Gohil? So who was Veer Hamirji Gohil? What was his connection with the Somnath Temple? What is the story of Veer Hamirji Gohil? Read on to know all about Veer Hamirji Gohil and the temple of Somnath.

Veer Hamirji Gohil – An Icon of Valour

If you are visiting the great Somnath temple that stands on the edge of the Arabian Sea in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, you may or may not notice the statue of a man on horseback in front of it. This statue that stands defiantly in a roundabout in front of the temple premises is that of Veer Hamirji Gohil.

The Somnath Temple was destroyed no less than 17 times by marauding hordes of invaders, but every time it bit the dust, it rose again like the proverbial phoenix, stronger and more resolute. The land of Somnath is drenched with the blood of countless men and women who fought till their last breath to defend the Somnath temple, which stood as a symbol of their culture, religion, belief, and very existence. One such braveheart who gave up his life, defending the temple of Somnath till his last breath, was Veer Hamirji Gohil, a brave Rajput warrior.

The Incredible Story of Veer Hamirji Gohil

The story of Veer Hamirji Gohil is blurred between the realms of history and myth. There are several books in Gujarati on him, and a Gujarati movie based on his life named, “Veer Hamirji – Somnath ni Sakhate,” was made in 2012. The movie was even shortlisted as an Indian submission to the Academy Awards in the category Best International Feature Film but lost out in the final cut.

We were intrigued by seeing Veer Hamirji Gohil’s statue at Somnath and also hearing that the flag hoisted on the shikhara of the Somnath temple is first kept at his memorial monument, before being hoisted. This galvanized us to research on him for more historical facts.

What we found were conflicting versions, while some accounts mentioned Veer Hamirji Gohil defending the Somnath Temple against the forces of Allaudin Khalji in 1299, other versions show him as standing up to the forces of Mahmud Begada of the Gujarat Sultanate, who reigned during the 15th century. Some versions are a hotch-potch of historical facts with the year and the kings of that time not at all matching.

Whatever the facts, it remains that Veer Hamirji Gohil stands as a symbol of the incredible valour of all the people who perished defending the Somnath Temple, not once or twice, but 17 times.

Somnath Temple Gujarat And The Story of Veer Hamirji Gohil

A monument to Veer Hamirji Gohil stands at some distance from the Somnath Temple, which was last rebuilt after Independence in the year 1951, thanks to the efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Shri K.M. Munshi. Incidentally, K.M. Munshi is also the author of the book, “Somanatha – The Shrine Eternal,” which traces the repeated rise and fall of the Somnath Temple.

If you are visiting Somnath Temple, do take some time to visit the monument to Veer Hamirji Gohil in the form of a statue. Opposite this statue on the side of the road, before a small temple stands a board with the picture of Veer Hamirji Gohil. The story of the brave warrior is briefly written in Hindi, though no dates are mentioned. The board has been installed under the aegis of the ‘Garasiya Kshatriya Rajput Samaj, Bhaka.” Here is the gist of the story of Veer Hamirji Gohil, as mentioned on this board.

The young son of  Thakur Bhimji Gohil of Arthila, Lathi, Kunwar Hamirji, was playing on his horse, when his sister-in-law chided him, saying, “This is not the time to play, but to protect the Somnath Temple, the centre of our faith.” On hearing these words of his sister-in-law, the young Hamirji along with a few of his friends, immediately made their way towards Prabhas, where the temple was situated.

On the way they had to cross the Gir forest, where they met the Bhil chieftain Vegdaji, who appraised Hamirji of the situation in Prabhas. Vegdaji also got his daughter married to Hamirji, the next day they all left for Prabhas. Many others joined them as they galloped towards the Somnath Temple, to save it from destruction. All the brave warriors made the supreme sacrifice of their lives while fighting to save the temple. This incident happened in the 15th century.

This was then the story of Veer Hamirji Gohil as described on a board near his memorial in Somnath. Many legends are associated with him. One of them is that he continued fighting the marauders of the Somnath Temple, even after he had been beheaded.

Though it is now difficult to sift myth from fact and history, what is beyond doubt is the sacrifices that countless men and women have made to safeguard the Somnath temple, the very icon of India’s culture and faith.

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